Tokyo: South Korea has lifted ban from Pakistani mangoes imposed 12 years ago, said Fuad Hashim, Pakistan’s commercial counsellor in South Korea.

“This is great news for Pakistan this year as last year Japan had lifted the ban from Pakistani mangoes,” he said.

The South Korean government has not put any condition on the processing of mangoes under vapor heat treatment plant, which is a very expensive process and not fully available in Pakistan, he said.

The South Korean government just requires the mangoes to be treated under water heat treatment plant, which is cheaper and easily available in Pakistan, said Hashim, adding that South Korea could be millions of dollars mango market for Pakistani exporters.

“The embassy officials under the leadership of the ambassador were trying hard to achieve this success. This issue was deadlocked for 12 years and we are glad that we succeeded in our efforts.”

On June 4, four U.S. diplomats assigned to the Consulate General of the United States in Peshawar, Pakistan, were stopped at a military checkpoint and temporarily detained after refusing to allow their two vehicles to be searched. The diplomats -- including a vice consul -- were traveling in a two-vehicle motorcade and were accompanied by three Pakistani Foreign Service National (FSN) security officers.

According to media reports, the Pakistani military has charged that the diplomats had traveled to Malakand without first obtaining permission from the Pakistani government.

Malakand is a city located about 120 kilometers (75 miles) northeast of Peshawar in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, formerly known as the Northwest Frontier Province.

Because of the problems Pakistan has had with foreign jihadists in its border badlands, all foreigners are required to obtain something called a No Objection Certificate from Pakistan's Interior Minis…